Antimicrobial treatment of materials is becoming an increasingly desirable mechanism for combating microbial pathogens. Microbial pathogens can be present on surfaces, e.g., bacterial biofilms disposed on the surface of materials such as metal, plastic, glass, wood, and the like, such as medical or food preparation tools or work areas; and microbial pathogens can be disposed within porous materials such as fibers, fabrics, and the like, such as wound treatment materials. Contamination of materials presents significant medical and public health risks, and biocidal treatment of surfaces and materials is vital, such as in blocking person to person transmission of diseases caused by microbial pathogens, in preventing infection of wounds by pathogens in the environment, in avoiding microbially-mediated food poisoning arising through contact of foodstuffs with contaminated work surfaces or personnel. Porous materials, such as fibers and fabrics, can be particularly difficult to block from microbial contamination, as the microorganisms can be protected from superficial sterilization procedures by the material itself. It is also important to develop materials having intrinsic antimicrobial properties that can avoid or reduce contamination over a period of time.
For example, surfaces of materials, such as food handling workspaces, surgical tools and equipment, and biological substrates such as the living tissues of patients, can be contaminated with bacterial biofilms. Bacterial biofilms are aggregates of bacteria in which cells adhere to each other on a surface and produce extracellular polymer matrix. The bacterial cells growing in biofilms are physiologically different from planktonic organism (freely suspended in a liquid medium); bacteria in biofilms can exhibit slow growth rates and higher resistance to antimicrobials, causing public health problems. Additionally biofilms naturally develop on living and inanimate surfaces. Biofilms can be found anywhere and widely involved in various infections in the body such as middle-ear infections, formation of dental plaque, and infections of indwelling medical devices.
Bacterial biofilms are aggregates of microbial cells adhered to one-another on a surface, producing an extracellular polymeric substance matrix.1,2 The bacterial cells growing in biofilms are physiologically distinct from planktonic bacteria (freely suspended in a liquid medium) and a major source of public health problems.2,3 Bacteria in these biofilms have slow growth rates and increased resistance to antimicrobials and the host defense systems.
Additionally biofilms naturally develop on all types of surfaces: both living and inanimate surfaces. Biofilms can be associated with various microbial infections in the body such as dental plaque, kidney infections, urinary tract infections and infections of indwelling medical devices.2,4 
Although several techniques5-9 have been developed to prevent biofilm formation and to produce disinfection on surfaces, it is difficult to completely inhibit biofilm formation due to the physiological heterogeneity of bacteria in biofilms and their resistance to antibiotics.10,11 Therefore, demand for new antimicrobials has been growing to prevent and eradicate biofilms.
Porous materials such as fibers and fabrics made therefrom can harbor and transmit microbial contaminants, so a treatment of such materials that can help prevent microbial contamination of the fabric and subsequent transmission, e.g., to tissue of a patient, such as healing wound tissue, would provide therapeutic benefits. Efforts have been made to develop fabrics having intrinsic biocidal activity.15 These include not only those used in healthcare settings, but also those used to enhance personal hygiene and prevent deterioration of fabric. Among the most effective strategies are those using heavy metals and their salts, quaternary ammonium compounds, polyhexamethylene biguanides, triclosan, N-halamine compounds, and peroxyacids. While all are effective, all have substantial drawbacks, including the need for regeneration (N-halamines, peroxyacids), low biocidal activity (triclosan, PHMB), toxic byproducts (triclosan) and development of resistant strains.